Day 20: Who in Your Life are you Grateful For? 30 Days of Gratitude

I think it's ok to be cliche here for a change. I dislike cliche and work really hard to come up with things that are not, but this one means the most.

I'm grateful for my parents, obviously, I wouldn't be here without them. So many things they taught me and showed me. My wanderlust is because of them. We traveled by car and camping somewhere new every summer. They taught me to work hard and care about my work. Sometimes I curse them for my work ethic, but I wouldn't be as good at the jobs I do if I didn't have it. I'm grateful for the resourcefulness that was passed on. My dad was MacGyver, he could fix anything or make anything work and not always in a conventional way. I'm grateful for my love of life that they both had. I'm grateful for the laughter of my mom and her ability to see the positive in everything.

My stepmother decided to send me to a summer camp in Utah one year when she read an ad in Sunset Magazine: Building boys better for a brighter future. I showed up at the Salt Lake airport and there was a man, Don Sampson, 6'4", in cowboy hat and boots, who became my hero and mentor for life.

I went back to that camp 9 summers as a camp counselor and met my wife there. Don and I stayed up talking around the campfire late after the other campers went to bed, about life and the human journey. One of the greatest guys I've ever met.